It wasn't common knowledge that Peter hated his hair. (Naturally gray hair; it was sorta hard to be proud of it.) Sure, Charles knew because he was a telepath, and Raven knew because Peter knew she would understand. In a way.
Still, he didn't want people to know about his insecurity. God, if they found out... they'd never let him hear the end of it. Besides, he didn't want people thinking that he had self confidence issues. He was Peter-fucking-Maximoff, he was a goddamn boss, and he didn't hate himself.
He just hated certain things about himself.
For example: his hair.
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The first person at the school who finally brought it up was Alex Summers, a guy who Peter actually liked. He was funny and he could keep up with Peter's train of thought well enough, and they had good conversations. But it still hurt.
"You're getting grays, Gramps!"
Of course he had laughed it off at the time. Of course Alex was just being good-humored. Of course Peter was overreacting when he went up to the bathroom later and actually stood there for minutes, just staring at his hair. Actual, long minutes. He had contemplated cutting it off that very second, but he ended up thinking better about it.
Cutting it wasn't going to fix the issue here.
The issue was that his hair was fucking gray.
Charles Xavier had talked to Alex, and Peter knew he had, because later that evening Alex came up and sheepishly apologized. The speedster waved it off quickly, laughing. "It's cool, man. You're getting grays yourself!"
He hoped the Prof. wasn't rifling through his mind. It wasn't pretty.
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He ended up cutting it. Just a little bit.
"Get a haircut, kid! God- I thought you were a girl!"
It was a redhead who said it. Mutation was like, light or something. But he said it.
Because as if the color wasn't bad enough, now the length was an issue.
Peter remembered the looks he got once people saw the cut. Charles and Alex looked surprised but they seemed to like the change. Logan snorted and ruffled his new hair. New hair? It wasn't even much shorter. Erik gave him a curious look, torn between suspicion and confusion. (It was his dad his dad and he didn't have anything to say and just another disappointing thing) Hank just rolled his eyes and told Peter he shouldn't listen to what other students said about his hair. (And of course Hank had to say that in front of Raven, who immediately turned to glare at him.)
Raven's reaction was really an overreaction. She bitched on and on about how Peter should be proud of his hair and of being a mutant, and if anyone else said anything against it he should give them a hit to the jaw. Then she pestered him, asking who told him to cut it. When he wouldn't tell her, she went all around the school, threatening almost all of the students until Charles finally convinced her to back down.
Still wasn't the worst reaction. Unfortunately, Peter ran into the redhead again and he nearly burst out laughing. "Oh my god! You actually did it!"
(Peter had to sigh at the memory of the redhead's friends laughing at him.)
(This was like his old school all over again.)
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Erik knew something was wrong with the silver-haired kid. Lately he hadn't been acting normal, and he had overheard Charles reprimanding Alex for teasing Peter. It was unusual, especially since it was just a quick quip about the lad's hair.
Maximoff.
There had to be a coincidence.
(Not with those dark eyes and that nose and and and and)
He sighed to himself. He couldn't let Peter know about their biological relationship. It was better if Peter thought he didn't know his father and accepted it, instead of knowing that in reality his father was a 'mutant-terrorist'. And it wasn't even only that, it was the fact that as much as Erik would love to be Peter's father full-time, he really was just not cut out to be one. Not after Nina, not after everything that happened.
Magda would kill him.
So he wouldn't tell the boy. But hell, he was going to find out what was wrong.
And that was when Peter walked into the room, nervous energy nearly palpable. His silver hair was shorter. Erik frowned slightly as he showed it off to Logan and everyone. That was interesting.
After a while Peter walked over to the group of himself, Mystique, and Hank. "Whatdaya' think?" He asked, the same quick, breathy voice. Hank sighed after a long moment of silence and his eyes headed towards the sky. "Peter... you really shouldn't listen to those guys. They're idiots, your hair is fine."
And wasn't that interesting?
Erik scowled at the thought. Someone told Peter to cut his hair? Someone told Peter his hair wasn't fine?!
"Who?"
In all honesty, Erik was surprised the growl didn't come from his own mouth, but rather, Mystique's. Peter's face flushed at the question, and he looked rather flustered. "Nobody! I just... wanted to switch things up, y'know? It got boring, and I don't want my beautiful hair to be boring, and the fact of the matter is that if someone has something as weirdly obvious as silver-fucking-hair, you want it to look alright, okay? And not that it didn't look fabulous before now, but I needed the change and I know that everyone else-"
His exceedingly fast, loud rant was cut short by Raven, whose face was turning red in anger. (Or as red as blue skin could get.)
"Stop it! If someone told you to cut your hair or change it all, don't listen to them! Your hair is perfect just the way it is-"
"-Mysti-"
"-So just tell me who told you that-"
"-It's really not-"
"-So I can kill-"
Erik took this moment to calmly walk off and talk to Charles. It was obvious that Peter wasn't going to answer any of Mystique's questions, or her interrogation, (no matter how scary she got) and he knew that with the right incentive, Charles would rat the student out.
And Erik was going to talk to that student.
A long, long talk.
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"Honestly, Erik. It's a haircut."
"It's bullying, that's what it is."
"How, exactly?"
Erik threw up his hands in exasperation. "Someone was telling him that part of his mutation needed to change. His hair is part of his mutation."
His telepathic friend looked thoughtful. "Alright; that I won't tolerate, as this is a safe place for mutants. Still- what do you suggest I do, Erik? My friend, the damage has been done. All we can do now is encourage Peter, and make sure it doesn't happen again."
"But it will happen again, Charles!" Erik snapped. Charles smiled in amusement at the harsh words.
"You do care about him. You remember he's the one who broke you out of the Pentagon?"
"Yes." (Short, clipped.)
"Hmm." (Longer, drawn out.) Erik sighed. "I just... this place is supposed to be different. This shouldn't happen." All Charles could do is nod.
(Long pause.)
"I'll talk to whoever it was. You talk to Peter."
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"So you said... what?"
The redheaded mutant- Mason- shrugged irritably. "He should cut his hair."
Charles pursed his lips for a moment. "Why?"
"It was just'a friendly suggestion, Professor. It was getting long anyway, and I wasn't even- I mean, hell, I don't get why this is a big deal. 'Snot my fault his hair is the color of gutter water."
The professor was barely holding in a growl. "Mason, don't do it again. We'll talk after your class."
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Erik reluctantly made his way to Peter's room. He really was dreading this, mostly because this would probably end up with emotional reactions, feelings, and the chance that the father-son relationship would come into play. And the awkward conversations.
Why did he get so angry?
If it had been anyone else he would've slapped them across the head and told them that mutations were a wonderful thing and to hit whoever told them otherwise. But when it happened to his top-secret-son, he'd wanted to track down whoever had said anything against him. He had overreacted.
He had overreacted and it was embarrassing. He really shouldn't be doing that.
And yet all he wanted to do was to run to Peter's room and tell him that his mutations were perfect.
And yet all he wanted to do was to run away from the door and let his- god, his son- handle it.
He knocked.
(Waited.)
(Waited.)
(Why wasn't Peter already halfway across the city?)
"One minute!"
What.
(Waited.)
Erik knocked again. "Er-Peter, it's me. We should talk."
"Erik?!" The voice came. There was a clattering noise.
"Peter, what the hell are you doing?! What's that smell?"
"It's nothin', stay the fuck out!"
"Is that hair dye?!"
(He knew the smell well.)
Alright, enough was enough. Erik twisted his hand and unlocked the door, quickly stepping in and immediately his jaw dropped. Peter was standing by a bucket, twisted into a very odd position, hair dye in one hand and the other one reaching up for his hair. Erik seriously doubted Peter even knew how to dye hair.
"What..."
Peter was nearly snarling. "I told you to stay out!" He continued to reach for his hair, (Slowly... he wasn't moving like he usually did. He was hesitating.) but Erik quickly stepped forward and grabbed his wrist. "No, no, stop it now! What are you doing?"
"Dying my hair, no shit!"
Erik let out a sigh and quickly tugged Peter away.
"Long conversation it is," He muttered under his breath, eternally grateful he wouldn't have had to live with a raven-haired Peter Maximoff for... however hair dye lasted? Thank god, what if that was permanent?!
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Raven was pissed. Hank was pissed. Erik was pissed. Charles was barely holding everyone's sanity together.
Oh, and Peter was pissed too.
"So you were going to dye your hair." Raven deadpanned, shattering the silence.
"Yep."
"And you didn't even think that you might actually not like black hair."
"Yep."
"And you weren't going to tell anyone."
"Eventually!" Peter snapped, running laps around the small room.
Charles had never looked so tired. Maybe he had. Not like this. "Peter, your hair is very special and unique. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's rather amazing, actually." Hank nodded enthusiastically. "I've never met someone else with naturally silver hair!"
Peter paused, zipping past the couch Raven was sitting on. "Silver?"
"Yeah, Silver. What color did you think it was?"
"It's gray. You said silver. There's a difference."
"It's silver."
Charles had apparently caught onto Erik's train of thought. "Alright, Raven, Hank, let's get out. I need both of your help with... the... secret... G...CD...K..." He trailed off awkwardly, making Raven snort. "You're a pathetic liar, Charles. C'mon, Hank."
And golly-gee this just got a fuck of a lot more awkward.
"Let's talk," Erik suggested, trying to keep the air light.
"What is there to talk about? There's nothing to talk about. I don't even know why you all are holding this intervention thing, because I was only changing things up a bit. Free country. I wanted a new look and you can't stop me from changing!"
"I like your hair the way it is. Right now. Silver."
Peter looked a bit taken aback.
(He was surprised that his father liked something that he had.)
(He was surprised that he hadn't admitted anything yet.)
"Don't change it, okay? Keep it the way you want it. It's interesting. It's part of you."
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"You know, nobody else in my family is a mutant. I stick out like a sore thumb."
Erik wanted to take a shower. It still wouldn't wash away the guilt that gave him. He had missed so many years of Peter's life, and it cost him. He really should tell him. Peter deserved the truth.
"Peter..." The younger mutant had been in the middle of a rant and immediately cut off, fighting down a blush. (He always got flustered around Magneto. Erik.)
Get it over. Like ripping off a bandage from a wound.
"I... I'm related to you." (That wasn't what he meant to say.)
Complete silence.
Peter was gaping like a fish. He had stopped pacing completely.
"You know?!"
Complete silence.
Erik choked. "You know?!"
Complete silence.
(Then they both started talking at once, both breaking into stupid, shit-eating grins.)
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Peter didn't dye his hair. He liked his hair because his dad liked his hair. Screw everyone else.